Optical apparatus.



A. P. JURGENSEN.

OPTICAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEC. 30. I9I2.

Patented July 16, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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A. P. IURGENSIN` OPTICAL APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED DEC, 30. I9I2Patented July 1G, 1918.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 7 IHHHHHHHHHHHUIIIIIINIIIHHHHHHUNHHHHHU UNITED STATESPATENT oEEroE.

AUGUST P. J URGENSEN, F NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO EUREKA PROJECTORDEVICE C0., INC., 0F NEW yYORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

OPTICAL APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 16, 1918.

Application led December 30, 1912. Serial No. 739,294.

dent of New York, in lthe countyi of New York and State of New York,(whose postoffice address is 170 Broadway, New York, N. Y.,) haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Optical Apparatus, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention aims to provide improved optical apparatus, and moreparticularly an improved moving picture machine, which shall permit thethrowing of the successive impressions or pictures upon a screen withoutdisclosing the transition from one impression to the next, and whichshall thus to a great degree, first attain the effect of neutralizin orentirely removing the disagreeable flic ering, so injurious to theeye-sight, which obtains when thev rapid, intermittent projections ofsuccessive views are thrown upon a screen; and, second, avoid theunsatisfactory and disillusioni'zing effect of exaggeratedrapidity whichhas existed hereto` fore.` By the invention herein disclosed theobjectionably rapid flashes of light which j have heretofore taken placewill be entirely avoided.

The invention is shown as applied to the usual type of film moved in theordinary way, that is to say, exposed ina fixed position for a certainlength of time, whereby a representation carried thereon will beeffective for projection, and then quickly shifted to the next fixedposition, whereon another representation carried thereon will displacesaid first representation. In existing apparatus, in order to avoid themaking of a noticeable break durin the transition from one impression tot e next, the successive transitions must be effected very rapidly. Theperiod of transition, although very short, is usually of considerableextent compared with the period of display of each impression. Moreover,in order to avoid the observance of the actual operation of thedisplacement of one picture in a series by its successor, it has beenfound essential to interpose a shutter or the like adapted to completelyblot out the light for this short period of transition, thus occultingthe illumination for two very brief intervals and admitting theillumination upon the screen for one very brief interval in all itsintensity, these three intervals arising during a single stationaryperiod of the intermittently fed lm. In this connection, various formsof shutter have been heretofore provided, all aiming to minimize thisinjurious artificial fiickering and have been generally' characterizedby various degrees of complexity and generally unsatisfactory results.

It should be stated at the outset that this invention contemplates anymechanism or means having for its object the utilization of opticalapparatusemploying a plurality of optical interponents whereby theoperation of. such apparatus, in accordance with the well known anddemonstrated theory of the persistency of vision or otherwise, will beaccomplished in the absence of the employment of an auxiliary adjustableinterponent and more particularly wherein-there may be dispensed withthe usual shutter, so called dimmer or interposed occulting means of anytype. And in order to illustratively indicate a possible application ofmy invention in accordance with the foregoing, but with no intention ofdelimiting its scope as laid down above, there are disclosed hereincertain4 embodiments of this invention designed to come withintheaforesaid scope of my inventionby virtue of employing means adaptedto destroyl the focal relations normallyv The relations of the means andfunctionsv in the illustrative apparatus hereinafter immediately to bedescribed, andsuch apparatus themselves, are, however, not of theessence of this invention; the scope of the application of which will beindicated in the appended claims.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings in certain views of which aredisclosed a plurality of embodiments of this invention, in all of whichthe above-mentioned variation of thel above-described focal accord isillustratively. shown as being effectuated by means of normal andabnormal dispositions of the lens means disclosed,

Figure l is a vertical sectional View taken through the portion of aprojecting machine which is usually denominated the head;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. land looking in the direction of the arrows, showing unbisected the gear35; I i

Fig. 3 is a detail view, partly diagrammatic, in side elevation andpartly broken away, illustrating another embodiment of this invention inaccordance with the abovereferred to plan of illustrative disclosure;

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of the parts shown in\Fig. l3 taken on theline 4-4 of said figure and looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 5 is` a diagrammatic view showing broadly possible factors capableof utilization in constructing an embodiment of this invention inlaccordance with the aforesaid statement of an illustrative subdivisionof its scope.

Similar reference characters refer to simi-v lar parts throughout theseveral views ofthe drawings.

Referring now to the specific embodiment of this invention shown inFigs. 1 and 2 of y the accompanying drawings, 6 represents acasin forthe head-mechanism, carrying exterlorly a bracket 7, bracket 7 in turnsupporting the cone 8 and the lens 9; all of which, or the equivalentsthereof, are well known in the art. A film 10 of the usual type is shownas traversing the interior of said casing, passing through the aperture11, thence under the idler 12 and over the idler 13, thence descendingwhereby a portion of it will traverse opposite the window 14, thencestill descendingr so that the customary edge-adjacent perforationsformed therein will enter, oppositely 0f the idler 29, into mesh withthe teeth shown as carried upon the usual sprocket wheel 15, thenceunder the idler 16 and over the idler 17 to make exit from the casingthrough the aperture 18. The sprocket wheel 15 is mounted upon the shaft19 for rotation thereon and is here shown as -being controlled by aGeneva movement of the usual type, thesprocket wheel 15 being fiXedlyattached to the star wheel 20 so that upon each actuation of the Astarwheel by the usual co-action therewith of the lstud 21 carried on thedriving wheel 22, thereby once during each revolution of said drivingwheelcausing for a fractional part of such revolution a quarterrevolution of said star wheel.

Star wheel 20 is provided with four radial slots as shown, numberedrespectively 23, 24, 25 and 26, and is also provided with the peripheralconcavities between the slots to present arcsconformed to thecircumferential periphery of the driving wheel 22.

This driving wheel is provided with the stud 21, projecting as shownfrom a point beyond its periphery. Attention in passing is directed tothe position illustrated in dotted lines at 27, which will behereinafter referred to in connection with the description of theoperation of this embodiment,

is a window 30, adapted to have supported adjacent thereto a focusablelens-means of the usual type which will below be described. Window 14 isshown as being provided with the usual door 31, which may be opened whendesired and thereafter snappedfinto ineffective position under the usuallatch 32,

thereby to aiford an uninterrupted path,-

through an interposed representation upon film 10, for the usualray-pencll.

A simple gear-train is hereshown within casing 6, arranged 1n such amanner that an integral system is provided. for drive, by means of thegear wheel 33 mounted upon the shaft 34, thereby to attain pro erlypredetermined synchronism in the cy ic operations of the salientinstrumentalities, shaft 34 being adapted to carry anoperatlng crank(see here lFig. 2 at 34'), driving pul ley or the like. I

Adverting to this disclosed integral system, the simplicity andessential lcharacteristics of which are deemed to be desirable, althoughthe utilization thereof here not being necessarily indicative ofpreferment, gear-wheel 33 is-arranged in mesh with the large gear-wheel35 carried upon the shaft 36, and gear-wheel 35 is arranged in mesh withpinion 37, 'the latter being mounted upon shaft 38 and carrying with itthe above-described driving Wheel 22. Star wheel 20 and sprocket wheel15, connected for simultaneous revolution upon shaft 19, carry withthem, connected also for simultaneous revolution, the gear-wheel 39.Gear-wheel 39 is arranged in mesh with the pinion 40 carried on theshaft 41.

Pinion 40 carries, mounted eccentrically thereon upon pin 42', a link 42connected to the lever 43 as at 44. Lever 43, as shown here, is a leverofthe first class having a central pivot as at 45; and is rovided with ayoke 46 adapted forpivota connection as at 47 with ay reci rocableportion of the lensmeans above re erred to and next to be described.

v The lens-means here provided is shown as including a pair oflens-elements 48 and 49. Lens-element 48 is supported as shown adjacentthe window 30 by the tube 50 mounted within casing 6. Lens-element 49 isiXedly mounted as shown within the tube 51. Tube 51 is capaci ted forreciprocation relatively of the tube 5 the location of lens-element 48with relation to lens-element 49, in such a manner that upon thereciprocation of tube 51. to a predetermined eXtent upon tube 50, theresultant relation of the lens-elements will setup `in the presence ofthe other optical factors 0, and thereby for variation of i a focalaccord capacitated for destruction aipon a variationof the predeterminedeX- tent of reciprocation.

Having thus described this embodiment of the invention, the operationthereof may now be understood. Let us assume that a representationcarried on the film 10 is disposed as diagrammatically indicated indotted lines at 52, c'. e., opposite the window14 (the door 31 havingobviously been swung clear and the source of illumination being utilizedhaving been properly disposed to discharge its rays through the interiorof the casing 6), and that a successor-representation carried on saidfilm is also disposed as diagrammatically indicated in dotted lines at53. Let us assume that the extent of reciprocation of tube 51 upon tube50 has been ascertained to be proper for focal accord when equivalent tothat illustrated, and

that the design of the parts has been such that the temporarily fixedlocation of the eccentric pin 42, in the lightof the location and designof the connected parts, is such that, during the period when the saidpin is temporarily so fixed, the said accord-relation between thelens-element 48 and the lens-element 49 will be continuously mainset upa revolution of gear-wheel 35 in the direction of its arrow, and thelatter will in turn set up a revolution of the pinion 37 in` thedirection of its arrow, pinion 37 carrying with it the driving wheel 22,so that the stud 21 mounted upon said driving wheel will traverse anarcuate path in the direction of the adjacent arrow until, let usassume, it has taken up the position illustrated in dotted lines at 27.

During the travel of stud 21 from the position illustrated per se at 21to the position illustrated in dotted lines at 27, it is clear that starwheel 20 has been meanwhile locked quiescent upon its shaft 19, theconvex periphery of the driving wheel 22 having had sliding movementrelatively of the adjacent fixed concave periphery of the star wheel 20;and that consequently gear-wheel 39, in mesh with pinion 40, the lattercontrolling, through the eccentric and pivotal connections shown, thevarious relations between lens-elements 48 and 49, has remained likewisefixed, thereby maintaining the aforesaid relation between thelens-elements 48 and 49 wherein they coperate for the previously assumedfocal accord.

` It will thus be seen that during the travel of stud 21 from itslocation 21 to approximately its location 27, the representation 52 vhas remained stationary in the path of the ray-pencil and thus has beenfixedly projected' during the time required for stud 21 to take up itsrelocation at 27.

Upon the further rotation of gear-wheel 33, driving wheel 22, actuatedthrough the gear-train, will cause its stud 21 to leave the location 27and continue its arcuate travel. Stud 21 will thereupon enter the mouthof the vradial slot 24, and, by virtue of the clearance afforded by thecutaway portion 28 of the driving wheel 22, will carry star wheel 20with it for a quarter revolution thereof, or until slot 24 assumes thedisposition shown in the drawings as having initially been occupied bythe slot 23; whereupon the stud 21 will be free to make exit from themouth thereof and thereupon enter upon a repetition or repetitions ofits circumferentially defined operations.

Stud 21 having, as aforesaid, entered the position, illustrated indotted lines at 27, it will be clear that in the further travel of saidstud 21 from the position illustrated at 27 back to the initiallyassumed location thereof, star wheel 20 will have been given a quarterrevolution, carrying with it sprocket wheel 15, thereby causing thedescent into obscurity of the representation 52 and causing the entry ofrepresentation 53 intothe former location of representation 52 oppositethe window 14. Simultaneously, the quarter revolution of gear-wheel 39has caused a complete revolution of pinion 40, this last movement,through the means indicated, causing the lenselement 48, first, to leaveits shown state of focal accord, next, to take up the predeterminedstage of focal discord, and, lastly, to reassume its normal state offocal accord. And at this point Athe principle of optics which has beenutilized in this type of embodiment of the invention will bespecifically referred to. It is well known that upon properly setting upa focal discord, the utilized lens-nieanswill distort, commingle, andcause mutual overlap between the infinite plurality of lightrays joiningthe representation and its image in such a way that the mass of lightwill be sufficiently diffused and blendedas to bring about the formationbetween the lights and shadows of what may be called an optical mixture,for presenting upolrthe screen a generally uniforml area of illuminationhaving a light grayish or almost purely intensely white characteristic.It will accordingly be apparent that upon the aforesaid quaiterrevolution' of the sprocket wheel 15, the representation 52 will, asaforesaid, be shifted out of the light area, but preferably not beforethe preferably slightly advanced actuation of the pinion 40, thc verycommencementof the actuation of which will serve to change to the focaldiscord aforesaid the previously existing focal accord betweenlens-elements 48 and 49. will also accordingly be apparent that lduringthe existence of this focal discord, representation 52 .will completelybe removed from the light area and that representation v focal accordwith lens-element 49, but'pref- A erably subsequent to the absolutefixation within the light area of .the representation 53. It is obviousthat these actuations will take place usually at a relatively greatspeed l of sequence; and that during the substitution of representation53 forits preceding representation 52, ageneral area of grayness and yetneverthelessv ,of substantially unim-y o `pairedl illuminative Xitywillbe presented` upon the screen. [This illuminative 1iXity,

moreover, will presentl the appearance of immobility, being ofaisubstantially uniform` shade of grayness. It 'will follow, finally,that the phenomenon of the persistency of vision, the maintenance of'illumination and lthe concomitant disguisement of the'substtution of;one representation for its vpredecessor,w1llv combine to set up anabsolute illusion of movement in a new and novel manner and with aperfection of effect that has never heretofore been attainable.

:Attention is now directed toFigs. 3 and 4, wherein another, out of manyalternative means,'is shown for alternately setting up the focal accordand focal discord mentioned above `as being within the contemplation ofthe invention. It will be seen that there is here provided a portion ofthecasing v6, the window 30, the lens-element 48, the

tube 50, the lens-element 49 and the tube 51.

The tube 51 is supported as shown by the bracket 54 for reciprocationtherethrough, and tube 51 accommodates therein the tube 50 wherebyzthelatter may havereciprocation relatively of tube 51 irrespective of thereciprocation of the latter tube with relation to the bracket 54. Theobject of this embodiment -is to minimize, as far as possible, the rangeof physical displacement of an individual lens-element necessary toprop'- erly vary the requisite respective focal cpnditions, and themeans shown are directed to the function of simultaneously displacingboth" lens-elements 48 and 49.whereby acumula- 50 tive accord or discordisset up. As shown most clearly in Fig. 4, tube 50 and tube 51 areprovided oppositely thereof with a plurality of lateral slots whichsubstantially overlie each other longitudinally of the tubes. Bothlongitudinal slots carried' by tube 51 are provided as shown with arackportion 55, and bothlongitudinal slots car- 'ried byjtube 50 areprovided as shown with a rack portion 56. These rack portions areadapted to co-actv with the teeth carried by an adjacent pinion 57, eachpinion 57 being mounted upon its shaft 58, and the shafts v58 beinglfiiiedly4 engaged as shown 'by the yoke 59 formed -inte ral with thelever 60. Lever 60-is pivota y connected as at 61 .the pinion 40.

The method of operation of this variation 70 in the embodiment firstdisclosed should be obvious. It is clear that upon an actuation 'of the'lever 60, the pinions 57 will rotate similarlyl upon the shafts 58,thereby,

through the rack-meshing just described, causing the lens-elements 48and 49 to'A simul-4 taneously approach or diverge from each other inaccordance with the construction ofthe parts.

.In' amplification of the'focal-a'ccord and 80 discord principlelunderlying the disclosure of the present embodiments of thisvinvention, attention is directed to Fig. `5, which diagrammaticallyindicates a plurality of the possible focus-factor elements. there'isillustrated inl normal focal-accord disposition a representation 64,v alens-means 67, and an image-receiving area 68; from which it will beclear that a focal discord when desired may be selectively set up eitherby causing representations 64 to take` either the location 65 or 66, orby causing the lens-means 67 to take'up either the location 68 or 69, orby causing the screen 7 0 to take up either the location 71- or 72. 95

Whenever I have used the `word screen I have intended to include anysurface whatsoever utilizable for receiving an image from an opticaldevice.

Inasmuch as many changes could bemade in the above construction, andmany appar-'- ently widely diiierent embodiments of my invention couldbe made without departing from the scope thereof, it is intended thatall matter containedin the above description or shown in theaccompanying drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not ina-limiting sense. l ,J

It is also to be understood that the language used in the followingclaims is intended to cover all the generic and specific features of'theinvention herein described and all statements -of the scope of theinvention which, as a matter of language, mi ht be `said to falltherebetween.

aving described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent, is

1. In a motion picture projecting apparatus, lighting means, a movableobjective lens through which lthe light rays from the lighting meanspass, means for advancing a` succession of pictures intermittently intothe path of the light rays', and means for intermittently moving theobjective lens 12 5 Thus 85 marshes through Which the light rays fromthe lighting means pass, a support 'for a picture to be projected, ascreen, means for moving one of said elements relative to the otherthereby periodically destroying the focus and means for advancing aseries of pictures to the support in correspondence With the movement ofthe movable element.

3. ln a motion picture apparatus, a lens system, including a movableobjective lens, and means for moving said movable lens intermittentlyysimultaneously withl the changing of the picture, whereby the focusthrough the lens system is intermittently destroyed at the moment of thechanging of the picture.

4. ln a motion picture apparatus, including a lens system and means forintermittently advancing a film, means for destroying the. focus in thelens system simultaneously with the advance of the lm While wsamaintaining a constant amount of light upon the screen.

5. ln a motion picture projecting apparatus, a lighting means, anobjective lens through which the light rays from the lighting meanspass, a support for a picture to be projected, a screen, means formoving one of said elements horizontally relative to the other therebyperiodically destroying the focus and means for advancing a series ofpictures to the support in correspondence with the horizontal movementof the movable element.

ln testimony whereof, l have hereunto signed my name in the presence oftwo Witnesses.

A ane. r. Junenivsnn.

Witnesses:

A. M. HENRY,' SoLoN J. LEILESKIND.

